California reports first death of a child due to coronavirus in the U.S.

Associated Press

Published
7:52 pm CDT, Tuesday, March 24, 2020

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County has reported what may be the first confirmed U.S. death of a child from coronavirus.

Health officials say the youth lived in the Mojave Desert city of Lancaster located north of Los Angeles. County public health director Barbara Ferrer says it’s a “devastating reminder that COVID-19 infects people of all ages.”

She did not provide any details about the child.

A report last week by the Centers for Disease Control found no coronavirus deaths in the U.S. among people 19 and under. That age group accounted for less than 3% of all hospitalizations.

Figures from Johns Hopkins University show California cases have topped 2,500, with at least 50 deaths.